We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our site. Cookies are files stored in your browser and are used by most websites to help personalize your web experience. By continuing to use our website without changing the settings, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. View Privacy Policy.

The New Mobile Worker

The iPass Mobile Workforce Report has been making the rounds for the past few weeks, and it has a lot of eye opening information. But what stood out for me was the definition of a mobile worker.

For the most part, we think of mobile workers as road warriors – executives and sales folks who crowd the airport Starbucks and fail to place one item underneath the seat in front of them. There is also the newer concept of the corridor warrior – the knowledge workers roaming the halls and corridors of your office building, bluetooth headsets mounted on their ears like Time-Life operators. These definitions are accurate, but the corridor warrior classification never quite resonated with enterprises.

But iPass did something brilliant. They nailed the new definition of the mobile worker. They call out mobile workers as personnel who rely on mobile devices for greater productivity. These mobile workers can be, and in many cases are, hyperconnected. Checking emails and using business apps at all hours of the day and night – in bed, before coffee in the morning, at the dentist’s office, etc…

By this definition, I am a mobile worker. So is my boss and my boss's boss; my employees are too. My guess is your company has a similar story as well.

This change in definition is powerful. It brings awareness to the fact that the once "instant enterprise" is now the "mobile enterprise.”

It brings clarity and understanding about mobile workers to enterprise IT, bringing much needed focus around how to manage, serve, and plan for this growing user base. How do you work with this new “mobile enterprise”?